“Obviously, we wanted to win,” she said. “We didn’t give our best effort.”

The difficult road game Nov. 15 against the Wildcats was scheduled way before the former NU assistant coach left last season to coach the Flames.

Thursday night’s game was the first time Pointer had appeared at Welsh-Ryan as a head coach. And though UIC lost 87-44, she feels the matchup can have a positive impact.

“Northwestern came out and punched us first and we didn’t know how to respond,” Pointer told reporters after the game. “For UIC, we have to allow this game to drive us to be better.”

NU coach Joe McKeown praised Pointer’s performance.

“I just think great things are ahead for her at UIC,” he said. “They made a commitment to women’s basketball when they hired her last spring. I think you’re going to see that over the next couple of years.”

Pointer is confident the Flames will bounce back.

“First of all, Coach McKeown is a phenomenal coach. One of the things that I learned from him was — no matter what — run your stuff and have great expectations of your team and have your team execute,” she said.

Pointer had hoped for a more triumphant homecoming after beating Valparaiso 75-65 on Nov. 7.

“Coming into the (NU) game I was just conflicted,” she said. “Who wants to lose to their former team and, for that matter, any team?”

Anytime you take over a program that hasn’t been as successful, “you have to appreciate these moments and in between because they are teaching moments,” Pointer said.

“Moving forward, for us at UIC, it is allowing moments like this to help elevate our mentality, our culture and really transform the program,” she said.

More than 300 people — kids with cancer or sickle cell disease and their families — celebrated the holidays at UIC Nov. 17. The event, which was hosted by the pediatric hematology/oncology department of the Children’s Hospital University of Illinois, included a Thanksgiving-inspired meal, holiday crafts, dancing and a gift exchange.

“Today is not about being a doctor or a patient,” said Dr. Mary Lou Schmidt, professor of pediatrics and head of pediatric hematology and oncology. “It’s about having fun.”

Volunteers from the Girl Scouts, A Silver Lining, Bear Necessities and others helped kids use paint, paper, beads and a host of other materials to make holiday crafts. Students from the UIC College of Dentistry dressed up as tooth fairies and as “Mr. Molar,” encouraging kids to practice good brushing habits with a novelty-sized toothbrush and stuffed animals. Dunkin’ Donuts provided supplies so kids could decorate their donuts, and eat their dessert before lunch if desired. The Joffrey Ballet’s Exelon Strobel Dancers danced for and with attendees, young and old.

For Kelly, mom of an 18-month-old with leukemia, the event was also a celebration of her daughter’s progress.

“Kathryn was diagnosed one year ago today,” she said. “At this time last year, we were in the hospital. To see her running around today, healthy, means everything.”

The event was also meaningful to Kelly because two of Kathryn’s three siblings were also there, along with their dad and Kelly’s husband, Dan.

“We’ve had to spend so much time apart,” said Kelly, who spent more than 190 days in the hospital last year with her daughter. “Finding time to be together means everything.”

Schmidt says the event is about relationships and celebration.

“Cancer or sickle cell and a number of other conditions have touched everyone in this room, but we have so much to celebrate,” she said. “We have so many wonderful stories to tell.”

Javontae, 24, a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, attended the event with his mom, sister, friend and a few cousins.

“I love being here with my family,” said Javontae, who has been in remission for eight years. He said that while most of the activities are for younger kids, he still has a good time, especially with his younger family members.

Supporting the event were more than 50 UIC volunteers, primarily from the College of Medicine, and 10 organizations, including Flashes of Hope, Gilda’s Club, Holiday Heroes, Ladies Philoptochos Society and North Star Reach.

As the months grow colder and the night comes sooner, the school days are getting more difficult to endure for me. Living close to campus, spending the whole week walking the same paths, taking the same buses, and longingly gazing at the towering skyline from the same vantage point, I start to feel trapped. I start to forget that I live in one of the most brilliant cities on this planet.

That is why I was so excited to hear in one of my classes about the new exhibit open this winter at the Stony Island Arts Bank on the South Side. In honor of the 50th anniversary of Chicago’s chapter of the Black Panther Party, the “ICONIC: BLACK PANTHER,” exhibit features rooms of art from local artists, as well as renowned artists from the movement like Emory Douglas.

I had never before heard of the Stony Island Arts Bank, and I can’t believe I have lived in the city for two years without experiencing it. The building, converted from an old bank on Stony Island Avenue, is now a vibrant space filled with art, media and literature on the second floor. It was renovated ultimately to engage in rich South Side history. The art in the exhibit was powerful and thoughtful, and it reminds me of the dense history that exists in our city. To be mindful of the struggle and resistance against racist policy and oppressed blacks, Latinx, and virtually every minority who has lived in this city, I believe is incredibly vital to learning how to be self-aware in an urban space.

There is so much to learn and appreciate about Chicago, and a great way of starting to do that is through engaging and supporting the art produced by local artists. There is so much more value to a piece than an “aesthetic” for a profile picture; ask questions, dig deeper, find out the context, history, and the background of the artist. I promise you will get so much more out of it. Visit the Stony Island Arts Bank and tell others about it.

Abigail Floresca is a junior majoring in criminology, law and justice with a minor in professional writing. Writing is how she connects, processes, expresses and relates to the rest of the world. Increasingly aware of the power of storytelling in bringing about change and reform, Abigail earnestly seeks to find a way to incorporate a perfect blend of writing and social work within the criminal justice system — she dreams of bringing about a positive change, one story at a time. At UIC, she is involved in campus ministry; conducts research with the criminology, law and justice department; interns with the Chicago Justice Project, and loves exploring new places downtown.

The University of Illinois at Chicago has received a $500,000, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation to support the Center for Advanced Design and Manufacturing of Integrated Microfluidics.

The center, also known by its initials CADMIM, has two sites — one at UIC and another at the University of California, Irvine — and focuses on developing miniature devices that can perform biochemical analytical functions quickly and cheaply. These devices can be used to do things like rapidly detect dangerous toxins in the blood, quickly screen hundreds of potential drugs, isolate cells for in cancer diagnostics and treatment, or provide information on plant health that can be used to improve crop outputs.

The UIC site has expertise in microfluidics, cell separations, 3D printing and point-of-care sensors, as well as in creating tiny living model “organ-on-a-chip” systems.

The total funding for the two-site center is $1.25 million, and is a second phase of investment in the CADMIM, which launched five years ago with a $836,000 grant from the NSF.

“In the last five years, CADMIM researchers have worked with industry leaders to provide customized solutions using advanced microfluidics technology,” said Ian Papautsky, the Richard and Loan Hill Professor of Bioengineering in the UIC College of Engineering and leader of the UIC CADMIM site. “We look forward to bringing more industry partners on board, working with them to advance microfluidics technology and develop solutions to their needs, and also to providing unique internship opportunities to our grad students through these partnerships.”

“It is gratifying to know that the National Science Foundation is recognizing and rewarding the many accomplishments of CADMIM in the first five years, in research, in technology transfer, and most importantly, in building a community of students, faculty and industrial members that bridges advanced research with real-world applications,” said Abe Lee, the William J. Link Professor and chair of biomedical engineering at UC Irvine and its CADMIM director.

CADMIM is funded through the NSF’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers program, which fosters long-term partnerships among academia, industry and government in various technology sectors. The center has worked with several industry leaders over the last five years, including Procter & Gamble, Beckman Coulter, KWS, Monsanto, QIAGEN, ThermoFisher Scientific, Canon U.S. Life Sciences, GSK, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, Douglas Scientific, Amgen Inc., Genentech Inc., Corning Inc., Los Alamos National Laboratories and Air Force Research Labs.

CADMIM industry partners provide funding for university researchers to develop solutions for specific needs or problems.

UIC and UC Irvine CADMIM researchers working with GSK, are developing a human liver culture platform using induced pluripotent stem cell technology that can be used to screen thousands of compounds in early drug discovery using a sustainable and genetically-diverse source of patient-specific cells.

“Ultimately, this platform can be used to mitigate the risk of drug toxicity to patients in the clinic, as well as develop novel therapeutics against global human liver diseases such as hepatitis B viral infection, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma,” said Salman Khetani, associate professor of bioengineering at UIC and a lead researcher on the liver project.

In another project, working with KWS, a German company focused on plant breeding, UIC CADMIM researchers are creating sensors that would be “worn” by plants to provide information on plant hydration and fertilization.

“This sensor was created so that growers could get a better handle on the health of their plants so they could make informed adjustments to watering or nutrition for better crop yield,” Papautsky said. Other UIC projects have produced point-of-care sensors that can help health care providers quickly determine blood lead and manganese levels in the field and “micro livers” that can be used to test drug toxicity before clinical trials in humans.

David Eddington and Jie Xu from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Elliot Hui, Jered Haun, Michelle Khine and Michelle Digman from UC Irvine, are other key researchers in CADMIM.

Change is one constant that large organizations must endure and manage on a regular basis. We are writing today to announce the resignation of Jeff Nearhoof, UIC’s Vice Chancellor for Advancement and UIF’s Senior Vice President of Development, effective at the close of business on December 31, 2018. Jeff has accepted an offer to serve as a Senior Vice President with the Chicago-based International Philanthropy consulting firm, Grenzebach Glier and Associates.

Over the past 5 years Jeff has made significant contributions to UIC’s advancement efforts. He has built a strong organization, he has designed and launched a new capital campaign and he has overseen the creation and the initial efforts of the new UIC alumni association. Please join us in wishing him well as he embarks on a new phase of his career, and in thanking him for his service to the University of Illinois at Chicago and the UI Foundation.

Jeff will continue to lead the UIC advancement team until he transitions at the end of December. A search for a new Vice Chancellor/Senior Vice President will commence immediately and more information regarding interim leadership will be forthcoming.

Sincerely,

Michael D. Amiridis
Chancellor

James Moore
President and CEO of the University of Illinois Foundation

Make an impact at UIC during IGNITE GivingTuesday on Nov. 27 — a day that aims to unify the campus community under the act of giving back.

In conjunction with the global giving holiday on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, UIC’s participating in GivingTuesday encourages the campus community to celebrate how broad participating can make a difference. For more information or to donate, visit givingtuesday.uic.edu

“This is a way for the entire UIC campus, along with alumni and friends, to come together with a common goal of encouraging participation and raising as much as we can to help support UIC faculty, students and everyone in the UIC community,” said Meredith Howell, executive director of participation in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Advancement. “The best thing about this initiative is that it truly does make a tremendous impact. We all come together, and it’s so inspiring.”

Last year, IGNITE GivingTuesday raised more than $117,000 from about 700 donors.

IGNITE GivingTuesday is part of a larger fundraising campaign on campus, called “IGNITE: The Campaign for UIC,” which launched last fall. The campaign’s goal is to raise $750 million over five years to forge the future of education by redefining the student experience, empowering faculty, driving discovery and connecting to communities.

As of Aug. 15, the campaign has raised more than $360 million — 48 percent of its goal.

“The IGNITE campaign aims to raise funds for student scholarships, endowed faculty positions, research and teaching technologies and improved campus facilities,” Howell said. “We are all invested in making a tremendous impact at UIC.”

Congratulate graduating students or recognize award-winning faculty from your campus group, department or college by placing a congratulatory ad in the commencement edition of UIC News! The newspaper will be distributed at the Dec. 15 commencement ceremonies at the Credit Union 1 Area.

Special rates for congratulatory ads:

Small, 2.5 inches wide by 3.25 inches tall: $20

Medium, 5 inches wide by 3.25 inches tall: $40

Quarter page, 5 inches wide by 6.25 inches tall: $60

Half page, 10 inches wide by 6.25 inches tall : $80

Full page, 10 inches wide by 12.5 inches tall: $100

Place ads online by Dec. 3. On the second page of the form, select the box under “Commencement Special Offer for Family and Friends of Graduates” for special advertising rates.

During the feast this Thanksgiving, family members and friends will often ask these questions: When are you going to graduate? What year are you now? What is your major?

“I am an English major.”

“What would you do with that after college?” “What can you be employed for?” “Can you make a good living?”

All these questions are expected, especially from people who are not familiar with the idea of studying “English.” As an English major, there are a lot of jobs and opportunities available after graduating from the university. Attaining an English degree diversifies one’s job options as there are different corporations searching for writers. Moreover, the ability to write concisely and coherently and communicate probably has become an essential element for hiring in the corporate world. Thus, having a solidified English degree provides one with a good chance of employment.

The Office of Undergraduate Studies in English create events that promote the idea of job availability for students with English degrees.

On Nov. 13, the English department hosted an event called “Ask Alumni.” This event invited UIC alumni to discuss their career paths after graduating with an English degree. They also answered questions from undergraduate students about internships and jobs. This event has become an excellent medium for English undergraduate students to network, as well as become confident about their career path after college.

Temitope Eddna Odedoyin is majoring in English and fully concentrating in media and professional writing. Apart from writing, she has a passion for painting and enjoys using watercolors, oil paint, acrylic, charcoal, oil pastel. She also has an interest in creative writing and short stories. She believes that art — through writing and painting — is a way of expressing one’s feelings.

Janice Jackson has been involved in the Chicago Public Schools her entire life. She was a CPS student from Head Start, an early education program for low-income families, through 12th grade, then began her teaching career at Chicago South Shore High School. Since that time, Jackson has served as a principal, network chief, the chief education officer and now as chief executive officer for CPS, the third largest school district in the country. Since assuming the role of chief education officer in 2015, Jackson has focused on building equity, excellence and access across the district, especially with regard to CPS high schools. Jackson is a progressive, forward-thinking educator who believes in setting the bar high. Jackson holds a Master of Education degree with a field of study in leadership and administration, as well as a Doctor of Education degree with a field of study in urban education leadership, both from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

UIC: To begin, what roles do you envision the UIC College of Education playing to support the CPS’ vision to provide a world-class education for its students?

Jackson: Well, I think UIC plays several roles; the first and most notable is to provide teachers for Chicago Public Schools. UIC has provided teachers through a pipeline from its teacher education program for decades and I see that as the most critical support they can give to Chicago Public Schools. Through the Urban Leadership Program in the College of Education, the work they are doing around identifying high-quality principals to lead and transform schools is definitely a game changer for our school system, where we have seen a remarkable turnaround. Just having a place, or destination, for Chicago Public School student graduates. I was at Epic Academy High School on the Southeast Side and met a young lady who was featured on the news for getting more than a million dollars in scholarships, but she’s going to the University of Illinois and when she said that to me, I was so thrilled.

UIC: What message would you like to provide to aspiring teachers and administrators at UIC who want to become a part of CPS?

Jackson: I think that many of the values that we share as an organization are the same values that UIC possesses, so I think that is a good place to start. One thing that I would say is that for the teacher education programs, we like to see more graduates leaving those programs, working for Chicago Public Schools, and really seeing it as a career and a destination, not just a first stop. I really want to make sure that the program is prioritizing how you help develop teachers who can work in urban school settings and teachers who are going to be able to come in and transform schools through what they do in their classrooms. I think UIC’s principal training program is doing that on a large scale, and I would like to see more and more of that from the teacher program. The advice that I would give them is to look for schools that have effective school leaders. The principal plays a critical role in school transformation and school quality. Oftentimes, especially with new teachers, they select schools for a variety of reasons. I would say the primary thing they should be looking at is school leadership. School leadership is going to determine the support they receive once they become teachers, and it definitely has a correlation to how long they are going to remain teachers.

UIC: Can you discuss how the College of Education at UIC prepared you for your role as an instructor and as a school administrator?

Jackson: I had a wonderful experience at UIC. When I say that ‘I am UIC,’ I truly believe that. In addition, I learned a lot in my master’s program as I was getting my certification and master’s degree to be a school leader and principal. This notion, which is commonplace now, that principals are instructional leaders, was new back in the early 2000s when I was in that program. It really shaped my identity as a school leader and administrator. Operational and communication skills are critically important when you lead a community. What UIC taught me is the importance of being an instructional leader and that the principal is the lead learner in every school building. Your major focus has to be on developing the capacity of others and that makes the school better in so many different ways. I would say that is the biggest impact of what I learned at UIC. Also at UIC, having access to some of the best professors in the country is definitely an added benefit. UIC’s Urban Educational Institute for School Leadership is one of the most renowned programs in the country. People come from all over to see what UIC is doing to produce principals. I am just lucky to be one of those former principals, who is now leading a district where we have access to that pipeline because I really believe they are developing people who can go to any school and turn it around.

UIC: How did the Urban Education Leadership Doctorate Program prepare you for your role as Chicago Public Schools chief executive officer?

Jackson: This notion of ‘continuous improvement’ is a big part of the UIC motto. Even when you succeed and you hit a goal, the next one is always there and you should have your eye on trying to continue to improve. The program teaches you how to do that in a very practical and scalable way. I have been in and known of programs that are well defined and well designed, but they are all theory. Sometimes practitioners may be somewhat familiar with the research but not immersed in it, or there are people who know the research front-and-back but they are practicing it. UIC does an excellent job of marrying theory and practice, and oftentimes, there is not that marriage. What you see from leaders who have gone through UIC’s program is that they understand both the theory and the practical implications of the work. I love policy and I am a policy wonk. A lot of that was cultivated and developed in the UIC studies program centered on urban leadership that taught us different frameworks and how you look at policy and analyze it, and how you create it and implement it. I think I bring many of those tools to this role. One of the first things that I changed when I became chief education officer was to think about the ways we change policy here in the district. UIC really provided us with a lot of research and frameworks around how to get buy-in from people on the ground. As CEO, one of my goals is to make sure that we operate as a full district, not a set of individual schools. There is no better way to do that than making sure that the leaders at the school level are involved in policy creation, formation and implementation. That is something that is a direct result of my participation in the UIC program.

UIC: This year, UIC announced the Chancellor Fellows Aim High initiative, which offers incoming high achieving high school students an opportunity to have their tuition and fees paid for if they stay in state, and the Call Me MISTER program, which is designed to increase the percentage of male teachers of color teaching in elementary schools. How do you think recent initiatives undertaken at UIC will help draw more CPS graduates?

Jackson: I believe the two initiatives show a commitment by UIC leadership to try and attract a diverse group of students. The UIC Chancellor’s Fellows Program, which is designed to recruit and retain highly qualified students from Illinois by offering full tuition, will be very attractive to high-achieving CPS graduates, many of whom will be the first in their family to attend college. UIC’s Call Me MISTER program is another initiative that is desperately needed. The program offers students pursuing approved programs of study in urban teacher education the opportunity to receive full tuition, as well as room and board with the aim of teaching in the classroom. With only 2 percent of teachers in American public grade schools being black males, there is a huge need for these male role models in the classroom at CPS, as well as other school districts, and UIC is helping to fill the need.

UIC: As an alumna, please complete the following: The UIC College of Education is…

Jackson: Amazing. I truly owe everything that I am from a leadership perspective to the program. I definitely think I brought many natural attributes there. I was developing nicely prior to going into the UIC programs, but I definitely feel like it strengthened me as a leader. I draw on so many of the things that I learned in both programs every single day in this role as chief executive officer. I would just say that it was an amazing experience, and I made the right choice going to UIC.

University’s multi-use facility to be named Credit Union 1 Arena subject to approval of The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois at Chicago and Credit Union 1 have reached an agreement in principle that would grant naming rights to the UIC Pavilion. Under the terms of the agreement, which remains subject to review and approval by The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, the facility will be renamed Credit Union 1 Arena.

Key terms of the agreement in principle will provide for Credit Union 1, an Illinois state-chartered credit union, to enter into a 15-year agreement with the University valued at $9.3 million. Additionally, Credit Union 1 will make a significant contribution of $750,000 toward supporting scholarships at UIC. The agreement is expected to be formally reviewed by The Board of Trustees at its meeting in January 2019.

“We are grateful for the generosity of Credit Union 1 and look forward to providing more scholarship opportunities to our students through this partnership,” said UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis. “Credit Union 1 has served the UIC community for many years and we are proud to have the Credit Union 1 Arena on our university campus as a visible symbol of our shared commitment.”

“Our partnership of Credit Union 1 and the University of Illinois at Chicago aligns Chicago’s premier college with Chicagoland’s premier credit union,” said Credit Union 1 President/CEO Paul Simons. “Both organizations have a diverse background representing and supporting the city of Chicago, and we both remain dedicated to the growth and development of our great Chicagoland area.”

“We are proud to contribute almost $10 million through our Credit Union 1 Arena naming rights partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago, helping them to continue as one of the nation’s top universities,” said Credit Union 1 Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Todd Gunderson. “In addition to supporting the university, we are also dedicated to supporting the individual students. That’s why Credit Union 1 is committing $750,000 in scholarship money to help students realize their dream of achieving their full potential while at the same time deepening our roots serving the Chicago community.”

“Our students and the many visitors to the Credit Union 1 Arena will benefit from a new financial facility located within the building in the heart of campus,” said Rex Tolliver, UIC Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. “We will be able to continue our effort to improve and enhance the shared space to make it a premier destination for students, faculty, staff and everyone in and around Chicago.”

“This is an exciting time in the history of UIC,” said UIC Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy. “The momentum and energy on this campus is undeniable and our great partners at Credit Union 1 recognize that to the fullest. We in athletics are fortunate to partner with an organization that shares our values and realizes our commitment to excellence in everything that we do. I am proud that Credit Union 1 will remain such dedicated members of our Flames family in such a visible and impactful way for many years to come. Our student-athletes are honored to compete in a facility that now bears the name of Credit Union 1.”

Currently, the UIC Pavilion is a 9,500-seat multi-purpose arena in the heart of UIC’s thriving campus. It is where UIC students both begin and conclude their time on campus as the site of Convocation and Commencement. The building also hosts athletic events, including boxing, UIC men’s and women’s basketball games, concerts, special events and more.

The UIC men’s basketball team will host William & Mary on Thursday, Nov. 15, in the first event to recognize the reinforced partnership between Credit Union 1 and UIC. The partnership will be celebrated, again, on Saturday, Dec. 1, when the Flames host the Loyola Ramblers at 3:12 p.m. CST.

About Credit Union 1

Credit Union 1 is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative dedicated to exceeding the expectations in our delivery of innovative financial solutions to help people achieve their maximum economic potential. Established in 1958, Credit Union 1’s vision is to be THE financial institution that drives family and community success. Credit Union 1 has over 300 employees and 23 branches concentrated in Illinois, as well as in Indiana, and Nevada serving over 90,000 members. Credit Union 1 focuses on giving back to our members with the belief that a healthy financial community benefits everyone by offering up to 100% LTV Mortgage programs, and promotions featuring cash incentive for auto loans, credit card and home equity products to help our members not only save money but put money in their pocket.

About UIC

The University of Illinois at Chicago is Chicago’s largest and only public research university located in the heart of one of the world’s greatest cities. With more than 31,000 students and 12,000 employees, the university is an integral part of the educational, technological and cultural fabric of Chicago. UIC is recognized as one of the most ethnically rich and culturally diverse universities in America. With 15 academic colleges in all, including seven health science colleges, UIC prepares professionals in all areas of study and contributes to the economic development of Chicago and the state of Illinois.

The Children’s Hospital University of Illinois will host a pre-holiday Thanksgiving meal and celebration for pediatric cancer and sickle cell patients and their families Nov. 17.

WHEN:

Saturday, Nov. 17
11 a.m.-2 p.m.

WHERE:

UIC Student Center West – 2nd floor
828 S. Wolcott Ave.

DETAILS:

Joined by community and cancer support organizations from around Chicago, the hospital invites its current and former pediatric cancer and sickle cell patients and their families to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with a special party, including a traditional lunch of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, games, gifts, crafts and an interactive performance by the Joffrey Ballet’s Exelon Strobel Dancers. More than 200 patients and family members are expected to attend.